Department for Transport

Shipping: Flags

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey have made of the (1) environmental, and (2) economic, impact of the use of flags of convenience by ships, in (a) UK waters, and (b) globally; and what steps they plan to take with international partners to reduce the (i) use, and (ii) any negative impact, of such flags.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: All ships, irrespective of their flag State, must comply with relevant international conventions for safety and environmental protection, depending on their size and area of operation. Requirements are regularly reviewed by the Member States at the United Nations’ International Maritime Organization and recommendations to improve safety and environmental standards must then be implemented by those States. Ships that are not on the UK Ship Register but are operating in UK waters or calling at UK ports, can be inspected by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency under the port State control regime of the Paris Memorandum of Understanding (Paris MOU). Individual ships are targeted for inspection on a risk-based approach, which takes into consideration factors such as age of ship, previous inspection history, company performance and its flag State. Ships of all countries (irrespective of ratification of international conventions) will be subject to inspection in a UK port, to verify compliance with the requirements of conventions ratified by the UK under the principle of no more favourable treatment. Any ship that does not meet the minimum standards, may be detained and the reasons noted on the Paris MOU database for other maritime administrations to see. Her Majesty’s Government has not carried out a bespoke environmental or economic impact assessment.

Department of Health and Social Care

Medical Equipment

Baroness Finlay of Llandaff: To ask Her Majesty's Government why the definition of a health institution as defined in the Guidance on the regulation of In Vitro Diagnostic medical devices in Great Britain, published in January, differs from that in the MHRA guidance on the health institution exemption (HIE) – IVDR and MDR (Northern Ireland), published on 1 January.

Lord Bethell: The Northern Ireland Protocol has resulted in the European Union Medical Device Regulation (MDR) (2017/745) and the EU In Vitro Diagnostic Regulation (IVDR) (2017/746) taking direct effect in Northern Ireland on 26 May 2020 and 26 May 2022 respectively. In its guidance on the application of EU MDR and EU IVDR in Northern Ireland, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has included the definition of a ‘health institution’ as determined by the EU.The UK Medical Devices Regulations 2002 (as amended) does not define ‘health institution’. As a result, the MHRA has provided its own interpretation, which was set out in MHRA guidance on in vitro diagnostic medical devices when it was first published in August 2013. The MHRA continues to rely on this interpretation of the definition for Great Britain and this has not been altered in subsequent updates. However, this issue will be considered during the review of medical devices regulation taking place later this year.

NHS: Drugs

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure medicines licensed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), through Oribis and the Innovative Licensing and Access Pathway (ILAP), are promptly reimbursed by the NHS.

Lord Bethell: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is committed to publishing draft guidance on new medicines at the time of licensing, with final guidance published within three months of licensing wherever possible. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, NICE and NHS England and NHS Improvement are working together to ensure that there is an integrated, timely approach to supporting access for National Health Service patients to products licensed through Project Orbis and the Innovative Licensing and Access Pathway. Interim access arrangements may be considered where NICE’s guidance is not anticipated to be published in line with the three month timeframe.

Travel: Quarantine

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether people quarantining in hotels during the COVID-19 pandemic are permitted to order take-away food; and if so, what precautions are in place for the bio-secure delivery of that food.

Lord Bethell: Additional food and drinks can be ordered and delivered to the hotel main reception. All deliveries are left outside the guest's room and staff should have no contact with the guest.

Covid-19 Antivirals Taskforce

The Earl of Shrewsbury: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the (1) remit, and (2) powers, of the COVID-19 Antivirals Taskforce; to whom will the Chair of the Taskforce report; and by what date.

Lord Bethell: The Antivirals Taskforce was launched on 20 April 2021 with the aim of having two effective oral antiviral treatments which are deployable by autumn/winter 2021 to be taken in an outpatient setting.The role of the Chair is to oversee the work of the Taskforce, ensuring it meets its core objectives and to work with a range of stakeholders to meet this ambitious timescale. The Chair also leads and is supported by the Antivirals Expert Advisory Group, which provides advice and recommendations to the Chair on various activities within the Taskforce. This is not a statutory appointment and there is no power to confer functions directly on the Chair. The Chair reports to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.

Medical Equipment: Innovation

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce a separate budgeting and adoption process for medical devices designated as innovative products.

Lord Bethell: The NHS Long Term Plan committed to accelerate the uptake of selected innovative medical devices, diagnostics and digital products by developing the MedTech Funding Mandate, which was launched on 1 April 2021. While local commissioners and providers decide how to allocate their resources in light of local priorities, the MedTech Funding Mandate will ensure specified National Institute for Health and Care Excellence approved, cost saving innovations are available to patients and funded locally.

Covid-19 Antivirals Taskforce

The Earl of Shrewsbury: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made with the establishment of their COVID-19 Antivirals Taskforce,announced on 20 April.

Lord Bethell: On 28 May 2021 it was announced that Eddie Gray will be the Chair of the Antivirals Taskforce. Significant work has been conducted in recent months to identify suitable antiviral candidates and engage with clinical and industry experts.

Travel: Quarantine

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what (1) initial, and (2) subsequent, checks on (a) the standard of ventilation, and (b) risks of ventilation systems transmitting COVID-19, were conducted in facilities used for travel quarantines during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lord Bethell: Ventilation requirements within the Managed Quarantine Service (MQS) hotels have been identified and agreed with Public Health England. Mechanical ventilation systems should be maintained in line with manufacturers’ instructions and should use a fresh air supply and not recirculating indoor air. This is to prevent airborne transmissibility and is an essential specification within hotel contracts. We ensure these are being met as part of the initial site visit undertaken by MQS staff and security. Each hotel should ensure that air-conditioning, ventilation, fire alarms and sprinkler systems are working properly. We are encouraging hotels to meet the guidance given by the Federation of European Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Associations.

Medical Equipment: Innovation

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to follow the approach of the government of the United States' Food and Drug Administrationin adapting regulatory requirements by putting clinical evidence into the post-market approval phaseand improving the introduction of medical innovation devices.

Lord Bethell: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is will conduct a public consultation this summer on the future medical device regulatory regime. This consultation will inform future amendments made to the United Kingdom Medical Device Regulations 2002 as required under the Medicines and Medical Devices Act 2021. The public consultation will cover various aspects of the medical device regulations, including requirements relating to clinical investigations and evidence. The MHRA is committed to ensuring that both pre- and post-market standards are enhanced to protect UK patients whilst supporting innovation with greater alignment with international standards for pre-market clinical data. This will ensure that the domestic medical devices regime remains fit for purpose in an evolving public health environment and facilitates a sector that embraces innovation.

Travel: Quarantine

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that people required to self-isolate in hotels on arrival back in the UK do so.

Lord Bethell: We have designated certain airports for managed quarantine arrivals and individuals should ensure they return via one of these locations. The carrier has responsibility to deny persons boarding if they are travelling to a port which cannot receive passengers from ‘red list’ countries. On arrival, individuals are met at passport control and guided through baggage reclaim and customs to the dedicated hotel transport.At ports, Border Force officers issue fixed penalty notices to individuals who do not comply with booking managed quarantine packages and complete a Passenger Locator Form in advance of travel. Once checked in at the designated hotels, individuals are required not leave their rooms except in exceptional circumstances or with permission from the security staff.

Cancer: Research

Lord Browne of Belmont: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of spending on cancer research services in England in (1) 2019–20, and (2) 2020–21.

Lord Bethell: The Department invests in health research through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The NIHR’s expenditure on cancer research was approximately £138 million in 2019/20. Expenditure for 2020/21 is currently being validated and will be published at the end of 2021.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Baroness Altmann: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to protect individuals who are immuno-compromised and therefore cannot be vaccinated against COVID-19; and whether they plan to offer those individuals plasma from people who have either (1) recovered from COVID-19, or (2) been fully vaccinated.

Lord Bethell: All immunocompromised people have been offered a COVID-19 vaccination. We continue to monitor vaccine efficacy to identify groups, such as the immunocompromised, who may require additional support. Immunocompromised individuals are a priority cohort for research into therapeutic and prophylaxis treatments such as monoclonal antibody therapies, novel antivirals and repurposed compounds.It is not yet possible to determine the exact cohort of patients who may benefit from these treatments, as this will depend on results released by ongoing trials as they conclude, licensing approval from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and deployment planning. We are taking steps to ensure supply of treatments in the event that they are found to be effective. We are developing options for further clinical trials where necessary.Convalescent plasma from people who have recovered from COVID-19 was found to not provide a clinical benefit in hospitalised patients in the RECOVERY clinical trial. However, we keep the evidence under review for all neutralising antibody therapies including convalescent plasma. The NHS Blood and Transplant study C-VELVET will provide information on the levels of antibodies produced by patients post vaccination and could support further research and development of antibody therapies.

Medical Records: Databases

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will list the projects using the NHS data store.

Lord Bethell: The projects using the National Health Service data store are as follows:- Data Integration and Analytics Capability for Self-Service;- Strategic Decision-Makers Dashboard;- Recovery of Critical Services;- Early Warning System;- Supply Management Capability;- Immunisation and Vaccination Management Capability;- Workforce Analytics Capability;- Adult Social Care Dashboard Capability; and- Integrated Planning Tool.

Ectopic Pregnancy

Baroness Stroud: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Bethell on 23 April (HL14837) in which he said that the Department of Health and Social Care had made "no assessment" of the ability to screen for ectopic pregnancies via telemedicine abortion services, how they are ensuring that the clinical guidance set by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists is sufficient toprevent ectopic pregnancies from going undiagnosed.

Lord Bethell: It is the role of clinical experts such as the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists to set clinical practice and ensure that it includes appropriate guidance on identification of ectopic pregnancies.

Care Homes and Hospices: Coronavirus

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many NHS patients discharged from hospitals into (1) care homes, and (2) hospices, subsequently tested positive for COVID-19 in each month since February 2020.

Lord Bethell: Data on the number of National Health Service patients discharged from hospitals into care homes who subsequently tested positive for COVID-19 is not currently held in the format requested. Data on the number of patients discharged into hospices who subsequently tested positive is not held centrally.

Phlebotomy: Pay

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the pay banding scales for phlebotomists in the NHS.

Lord Bethell: In the National Health Service, pay arrangements for phlebotomists fall under the national Agenda for Change pay structure. Staff are placed in one of nine pay bands on the basis of the knowledge, responsibility, skills and effort needed for the job, rather than their job title.

Babies: Screening

Lord Goodlad: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to improve (1) the newborn screening programme, and (2) the diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases.

Lord Bethell: The United Kingdom National Screening Committee (UK NSC) regularly reviews over 100 conditions, including some rare diseases, to ensure that we continue to offer a world class screening programme. In the Newborn Screening Programme, the UK NSC has recently reviewed Adrenoleukodystrophy and is in the process of reviewing 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome to assess its suitability for a population-based screening programme. It is important that the addition of any new conditions to the newborn blood spot programme or any population screening programme, is supported by robust peer-reviewed evidence.The UK Rare Diseases Framework provides the high-level direction for rare diseases including improving diagnosis rates. The Framework’s priorities will be implemented through nation-specific action plans which will outline the specific commitments from each UK nation.

Ambulance Services

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the average cost for an NHS Ambulance emergency response.

Lord Bethell: The information is not held in the format requested as there is no single type of National Health Service emergency ambulance response.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government what personal data is held on the database of people who have received a COVID-19 vaccination; and who can that data be shared with.

Lord Bethell: Within NHS Digital, information is held on people who have received a COVID-19 vaccination including their name, postcode, date of birth, National Health Service number, gender, date of COVID-19 vaccination, type of vaccine received and batch number. The data can be shared with the person’s general practitioner practice, Public Health England, the Joint Biosecurity Centre, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling. The data can also be shared with organisations or individuals via NHS Digital Data Access Request Service, subject to them being able to meet strict data governance standards and having an appropriate legal basis.

DNACPR Decisions

Lord Balfe: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many patientswho died in NHS hospitals in England between 1 April 2020 and 31 March were subject toDo Not Attempt Resuscitation orders.

Lord Balfe: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many patientswho died in NHS hospitals in England between 1 April 2020 and 31 March and whose death certificate gave COVID-19 as the cause of death were subject toDo Not Attempt Resuscitation orders.

Lord Balfe: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many patients who were subject to Do Not Attempt Resuscitation (DNAR) orders and died in NHS hospitals in England between 1 April 2020 and 31 March, had the option "unknown" marked next to the "name of the relevant other" on the DNAR form.

Lord Bethell: The information requested is not held centrally.Due to the concerns raised at the beginning of the COVID 19 pandemic around the application of Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (DNACPR) decisions, the Department asked the Care Quality Commission to review how these decisions were made. Their report was published in March. The Department has established a Ministerial Oversight Group that will be responsible for the delivery and required changes of the recommendations of this report, to ensure adherence to guidance across the system on how DNACPRs are used.

Mental Health Services

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the average cost for an NHS community-based mental health session.

Lord Bethell: The information requested is not held centrally.

Ministry of Justice

Sexual Offences: Disclosure of Information

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to protect the anonymity of victims of sexual assault.

Lord Wolfson of Tredegar: Complainants in rape and sexual offence cases are protected by automatic reporting restrictions, which impose a lifetime ban on publishing any matter likely to identify a victim, from the moment the offence is reported. Anyone who publishes such material is liable to a fine.Interfering with the administration of justice and publicly commenting on a court case on social media or other channels may lead to a charge for the more serious offence of contempt of court, for which the maximum penalty is 2 years’ imprisonment.

Reoffenders

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what changes they plan to make to the prison and probation systems to reduce re-offending.

Lord Wolfson of Tredegar: This Government is committed to reducing crime by tackling reoffending, which accounts for around 80% of cautioned or convicted crime. We are committed to keeping the public safe by addressing the complex issues that lead to offending, while also strengthening the supervision of offenders in the community and monitoring them more closely after they are released from prison to protect the public. Prison and probation provide an opportunity to address the complex drivers of reoffending which is why we will continue to not only recover from the pandemic but use this opportunity to reform and build back safer. As announced in the Spending Review last year, we have committed over £4 billion funding to make significant progress in delivering 18,000 additional prison places across England and Wales, which forms a major part of our plans to transform the prison estate. These new prison places will provide safe, decent and secure environments to support the delivery of effective interventions to reduce reoffending. Funding announced in January also demonstrates this Governments commitment to tackling some of the underlying causes of reoffending. It comprised:£70 million investment to enhance the Department’s Approved Premises, provide transitional accommodation to those leaving prison who would otherwise be homeless, and to test new innovative approaches to ensure offenders resettle back into the community and turn their backs on crime.£80m on expanding drug treatment services in England to address offenders’ substance misuse issues, divert them on to effective community sentences and reduce drug-related crime and deaths. As part of the £70 million package we are working collaboratively with 16 prisons to design, implement and test new processes and initiatives across accommodation, education, employment and substance misuse treatment. This is in addition to fulfilling the Government’s manifesto commitments around increasing the number of DWP prison work coaches and development of the Prison Education Service focused on employment and skills. By supporting people into a job, a home and treatment for substance misuse, we can help them escape the vicious cycle of crime and prevent victims. Our reforms to probation, starting with the launch of the new unified Probation Service for England and Wales on 26 June this year, also aim to strengthen our approach to reducing reoffending. It will strengthen how offenders are supervised and supported to desist from offending through investment in more probation officers and better learning and development. It will improve how we address offending behaviour by bringing together and investing in behavioural change programmes and interventions. Probation regions will also be able to refer offenders to a range of organisations commissioned to deliver specialist rehabilitative services, such as accommodation support, education, training and employment, and support to address other issues such as access to mental health services or managing complex family relationships. 110 contracts are now in place across England and Wales to deliver these services from 26 June.Together these important steps demonstrate this Government’s commitment to build back safer, fairer and stronger by reducing crime and tackling reoffending to protect the public.

Legal Aid Scheme: Domestic Abuse

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent assessmentthey have made of the adequacy of support provided through the legal aid system for victims of domestic abuse.

Lord Wolfson of Tredegar: Domestic abuse is an abhorrent crime and we are determined to protect and support the victims of abuse and their children and bring perpetrators to justice.The legal aid scheme is designed to target funding at those that need it most, and this government has always been clear that publicly-funded legal advice is available to victims of domestic abuse in private family proceedings and for specific domestic abuse injunctions, subject to certain criteria being met.Legal aid is and remains available for the purpose of obtaining urgent protection, such as non-molestation orders, without any evidence requirements and the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) has the power to waive all upper financial eligibility limits. This means victims can receive legal aid even if they would not otherwise pass the means test, though they may have to pay a financial contribution towards their legal costs.We recently widened the evidence requirements for domestic abuse victims, making it easier for victims to obtain and provide the evidence they need to access legal aid.We are currently conducting a review of the means test, where we are specifically considering the experiences of victims of domestic abuse. The review is scheduled to conclude in Autumn 2021, at which point we will publish a full consultation paper.

Homicide: Reoffenders

Lord Tebbit: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people have been killed by someone who has previously been found guilty of homicide, imprisoned, and subsequently released, for the years for which figures are available.

Lord Wolfson of Tredegar: The table below provides the number of people killed by offenders who were at the time on licence for an earlier homicide offence, for which they had served a prison sentence and been released. As they were on licence, when they were charged with a new offence of killing [homicide], it would have generated a formal serious further offence (SFO) notification to HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS), and the number in each calendar year reflects the year in which HMPPS received the notification. The answer interprets homicide to include offences of murder, manslaughter, death by dangerous driving and death by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs. Data are not available on offenders with a previous conviction for homicide who had completed their sentence and associated statutory probation supervision by probation and then went on to commit a further homicide. SFOs are rare. Fewer than 0.5% of offenders under statutory supervision are convicted of serious further offences. Nonetheless every single serious further offence is taken extremely seriously, and in all cases a review is carried out to identify any lessons for the better management of future cases.Year SFO notification receivedTotal number of people killed in a SFO by someone convicted of homicide offences at both index offence and SFO200952010320113201202013320143201532016020173201832019[1]0 We will publish SFO conviction data for 2019/20 in October 2021, therefore data for 2019 can only be provided for January, February and March.Figures are based on conviction data that was produced in September 2020.Data are derived from the date of SFO notification to HMPPSThis figure only includes convictions for serious further offences that have been notified to the national SFO Team, HMPPS.The data provided are provisional figures subject to change when any outstanding cases are concluded at court.The data also includes cases where the offender committed suicide or died prior to the trial, where a Court has subsequently ruled that they were responsible.Data Sources and Quality. We have drawn these figures from administrative IT systems which, as with some large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Probation: Nationalisation

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progressthey have made towards therestoration of the probation service in England and Wales to public ownership and control.

Lord Wolfson of Tredegar: We are on track to launch a new unified Probation Service for England and Wales on 26 June this year. The new Service will bring together staff from the previous National Probation Service (NPS) and 21 Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) and will strengthen public protection by bringing together management of offenders of all levels of risk into one organisation.The new unified service will strengthen rehabilitation by delivering unpaid work and behavioural change programmes in England and Wales. Specialist organisations will continue to play a role in the probation system, delivering resettlement and rehabilitative services such as education, training and employment and accommodation and other rehabilitative interventions. 110 contracts are now in place for these commissioned services. We are also in the final stages of the estates and digital transfers needed to support transition.Once we have completed transition to the new organisation, we will begin implementing the new operating model for the unified service. We have already recruited a record 1,000 new trainee probation officers in 2020/21 and plan to recruit a further 1,500 in this financial year.Our progress in delivering these crucial reforms will ensure a joined up and improved Probation Service to cut crime and reduce reoffending, meet the needs of our communities, offer more support in rehabilitating offenders and protect the public from crime.

Legal Opinion: Low Incomes

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take to address so-called "legal advice deserts".

Lord Wolfson of Tredegar: We continue to work to ensure that civil legal aid advice remains accessible to those who need it. The Legal Aid Agency keeps market capacity under continual review to ensure adequate provision across England and Wales. Wherever you are in England and Wales, legal advice is available through the CLA telephone service.We are currently considering the sustainability of the civil legal aid market broadly, looking at a range of factors, from the current remuneration rates, to the pipeline into a career in legal aid, as well as the ability of providers to offer legal aid services into the future. We intend to continue working very closely with stakeholders to increase our understanding of the challenges currently faced by the whole sector. Legal Aid is central to access to justice, but it is only one part of a broader picture. We know that early intervention is key to help people resolve their legal problems as swiftly as possible, potentially without the need to receive legally aided advice or attend court at all. We are delivering pilots for early resolution of legal problems and to test what works. This includes looking at how we can improve signposting and enhance access to existing online and in person legal support services, and a targeted expansion of funding for early legal advice in a specific area of social welfare law to test its impact. Charities in the advice sector play a crucial role to help people resolve their legal problems across England and Wales, which has been vital throughout Covid-19. MoJ has provided £5.4m in funding for not-for-profit providers of specialist legal advice. £3m was given to Law Centres and the remaining £2.4m to the Community Justice Fund administered by the Access to Justice Foundation. In 2020, we launched the two-year, £3.1m Legal Support for Litigants in Person Grant. We’re delighted to be working in partnership with the Access to Justice Foundation to deliver the grant, which is designed to fund services provided at local, regional and national levels with the aim of understanding more about how they can combine to help people.

Prisoners: Females

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to their Safety in custody quarterly: update to December 2020, published on 29 April, what steps they are taking to address self-harm in women’s prisons.

Lord Wolfson of Tredegar: We recognise that the level of self-harm in the women’s estate is too high and are determined to reduce this. A task force was set up in April 2020 in response to our increasing concerns about the level of self-harm in the women’s estate. We know that many of the drivers and protective factors linked to women’s risk of self-harm in prisons have been affected by Covid-19 and the restricted regimes that have been put in place to control the spread of infection.The task force worked to introduce a number of specific interventions to counteract the impact of Covid-19 on the women’s estate, including bespoke well-being checks, increased phone credit and more access to video calls with family and friends.We have prioritised women’s prisons for the roll out of the revised version of the Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork (ACCT) multi-disciplinary case management system used in prisons to support people at risk of suicide and self-harm. We also introduced the Offender Management in Custody model in the female estate in April. This will provide each woman with a dedicated key worker or equivalent who will be able to better support them and identify concerns at an early stage so that women can receive the right support at the right time.We have produced a range of products to support Governors in devising and implementing local safety and welfare plans designed to mitigate risks and promote wellbeing. We have developed new guidance for staff on understanding and supporting someone who is self-harming. We continue to make the Samaritans phone service available and are working with this charity to ensure that the Listener peer support scheme continues to function effectively.Importantly, we have also invested £5m in alternatives to prison, including new women’s centres which help people address issues such as alcohol or drug addiction which leads them to crime.

Prisoners' Release: Females

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they willensure women prison leavers supported by the Ministry of Justice’s temporary accommodation service are supported into permanent accommodation.

Lord Wolfson of Tredegar: We are investing more than £20m in supporting prison leavers at risk of homelessness into temporary accommodation. Individuals released from prison will be provided up to 12 weeks of temporary accommodation and will be supported into long-term settled accommodation before the end of that 12-week period. Initially launching in five national probation regions, the service will support around 3,000 offenders in its first year and will be commencing this Summer. It will be in operation during the financial year 2021-22, with a view to scaling up and rolling out nationally.The service will take account of the needs of women, including those with complex needs and accommodation provision will be dedicated to single gender usage as required. Community Probation Practitioners, working together with local partners, will be responsible for ensuring that vulnerable female prison leavers receive appropriate support and are provided with housing beyond the 12 weeks’ emergency accommodation.In 2020, Hestia Battersea was changed from a male to female Approved Premises to give better geographic spread of AP provision for women, becoming the first AP for women in London since 2008.In addition, Eden House, the first new AP in over thirty years, will open in this month supporting female offenders.HMPPS will work in conjunction with MHCLG’s announced funding to support both male and female prison leavers at risk of homelessness into private rental tenancies. Funded schemes to support women will be developed to recognise their specific needs and will be part of plans to secure settled accommodation by the end of the 12 weeks’ temporary accommodation provided by HMPPS.

Prisoners' Release: Females

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government what stepsthey are taking to ensure no woman is released from prison to homelessness.

Lord Wolfson of Tredegar: We are committed to doing all we can to address the issues around female offending. It is vital that we do so to better protect the public and deliver more effective rehabilitation. This includes supporting women when they are leaving prison.In June 2018, the Government published the Female Offender Strategy. This set out a programme of work to improve outcomes for female offenders and make society safer by tackling the underlying causes of offending and reoffending. Its publication was the start of a new and significant programme of work to deliver better outcomes for female offenders that will take some years to deliver. We recognise the important role that the women’s community services play in supporting female offenders. We have invested some £7m in the sector since 2018 and announced a further £2.5m funding on 11 June 2021.As part of our commitment to tackling the issues female offenders face, we have a Reducing Re-offending lead specifically for the Women’s Estate which allows us to make sure that we are focused on the outcomes specifically from within the women’s prisons. As part of our commitment to eliminate rough sleeping, we are working across Government with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), Welsh Government and Other Government Departments, to address the barriers offenders face in securing suitable accommodation.We are investing more than £20m in supporting prison leavers at risk of homelessness into temporary accommodation. Individuals released from prison will be provided up to 12 weeks of temporary accommodation and will be supported into long-term settled accommodation before the end of that 12-week period. Initially launching in five national probation regions, the service will support around 3,000 offenders in its first year and will be commencing in Summer. It will be in operation during the next financial year 2021-22, with a view to scaling up and rolling out nationally, though the Spending Review 2021 will set out the approach for future years.The service will take account of the needs of women, including those with complex needs and accommodation provision will be dedicated to single gender usage as required. Community Offender Managers, working together with local partners, will be responsible for ensuring that vulnerable female prison leavers with complex needs receive appropriate support and are provided with housing beyond the 12 weeks’ emergency accommodation.We are introducing and testing a new specialist housing advisor role in twenty prisons, including within the female estate. The new role will seek to strengthen links between prisons, through the gate teams and local authorities to improve accommodation outcomes for those at risk of homelessness. Subject to evaluation, the intention is to scale up and roll-out nationally across all resettlement prisons.In 2020, Hestia Battersea was changed from a male to female Approved Premises to give better geographic spread of AP provision for women, becoming the first AP for women in London since 2008.In addition, Eden House, the first new AP in over thirty years, will open in this month supporting female offenders.Following a comprehensive review, the ‘Subsistence Payment’ (currently known as the Discharge Grant) will be uprated from £46 to £76 to reflect increases in the UK’s Consumer Prices Index (CPI). This is planned to come into effect during Summer 2021. Going forward, the Subsistence Payment will be increased year on year in line with the CPI until 2024/25.

Prisoners' Release: Females

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how theywill ensure women prison leavers supported by the Ministry of Justice’s temporary accommodation service are supported into permanent accommodation.

Lord Wolfson of Tredegar: We are investing more than £20m in supporting prison leavers at risk of homelessness into temporary accommodation. Individuals released from prison will be provided up to 12 weeks of temporary accommodation and will be supported into long-term settled accommodation before the end of that 12-week period. Initially launching in five national probation regions, the service will support around 3,000 offenders in its first year and will be commencing this Summer. It will be in operation during the financial year 2021-22, with a view to scaling up and rolling out nationally.The service will take account of the needs of women, including those with complex needs and accommodation provision will be dedicated to single gender usage as required. Community Probation Practitioners, working together with local partners, will be responsible for ensuring that vulnerable female prison leavers receive appropriate support and are provided with housing beyond the 12 weeks’ emergency accommodation.In 2020, Hestia Battersea was changed from a male to female Approved Premises to give better geographic spread of AP provision for women, becoming the first AP for women in London since 2008.In addition, Eden House, the first new AP in over thirty years, will open in this month supporting female offenders.HMPPS will work in conjunction with MHCLG’s announced funding to support both male and female prison leavers at risk of homelessness into private rental tenancies. Funded schemes to support women will be developed to recognise their specific needs and will be part of plans to secure settled accommodation by the end of the 12 weeks’ temporary accommodation provided by HMPPS.

Prisoners' Release: Females

Lord German: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they plan to ensure women prison leavers supported by the Ministry of Justice’s temporary accommodation service are supported into permanent accommodation.

Lord Wolfson of Tredegar: We are investing more than £20m in supporting prison leavers at risk of homelessness into temporary accommodation. Individuals released from prison will be provided up to 12 weeks of temporary accommodation and will be supported into long-term settled accommodation before the end of that 12-week period. Initially launching in five national probation regions, the service will support around 3,000 offenders in its first year and will be commencing this Summer. It will be in operation during the financial year 2021-22, with a view to scaling up and rolling out nationally.The service will take account of the needs of women, including those with complex needs and accommodation provision will be dedicated to single gender usage as required. Community Probation Practitioners, working together with local partners, will be responsible for ensuring that vulnerable female prison leavers receive appropriate support and are provided with housing beyond the 12 weeks’ emergency accommodation.In 2020, Hestia Battersea was changed from a male to female Approved Premises to give better geographic spread of AP provision for women, becoming the first AP for women in London since 2008.In addition, Eden House, the first new AP in over thirty years, will open in this month supporting female offenders.HMPPS will work in conjunction with MHCLG’s announced funding to support both male and female prison leavers at risk of homelessness into private rental tenancies. Funded schemes to support women will be developed to recognise their specific needs and will be part of plans to secure settled accommodation by the end of the 12 weeks’ temporary accommodation provided by HMPPS.

Life Imprisonment: Prisoners' Release

Lord Bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people serving a life sentence were released at their first eligible parole date in each year since 2000.

Lord Bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people serving animprisonment for public protectionsentence were released at their first eligible parole date in each year since 2005.

Lord Wolfson of Tredegar: The information needed to provide a comprehensive answer to each question could be provided only at disproportionate cost as central data was not stored in a way that it can be filtered by the required fields to obtain the information, until 2009. As a result, the tables below provide data for each year from 2009.The Government is committed to the protection of the public and the effective management of offenders. By law, prisoners serving indeterminate sentences who have completed their tariff will be released only when the independent Parole Board concludes that the risk they present to the public is capable of being safely managed in the community under probation supervision.The total number of prisoners serving a life sentence who were released at their first eligible parole date in each year since 2009, is shown in the following table:Outcome yearCount of release decisions at first eligible parole date20098120108620118220128620131012014712015762016962017121201812720191152020122 The total number of prisoners serving a sentence of imprisonment for public protection who were released at their first eligible parole date in each year since 2009, is shown in the following table:Outcome yearCount of release decisions at first eligible parole date200945201037201177201272201381201458201561201669201766201859201930202025Notes for all tables:1. These figures have been drawn from the Public Protection Unit Database and Prison-NOMIS held by Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service. As with any large scale recording systems, the figures are subject to possible errors with data migration and processing.2. The figures in these tables do not include recalled indeterminate-sentence prisoners. Statistics on the indeterminate sentence population in prisons are routinely published as part of the Quarterly Offender Management Statistics on Gov.uk - https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/offender-management-statistics-quarterly

Prisons: Equality

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government (1) how many prison service staffhave attended intersectionality courses, (2) what is the cost of any such courses, and (3) how the courses help prison officers deal with prisoners.

Lord Wolfson of Tredegar: There are no courses on intersectionality but Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) had a package on intersectionality as part of its ‘Let’s Talk’ series.Involvement in the ‘Let’s Talk’ series was not mandatory. As a result, HMPPS does not collect or hold data on the number of staff who have participated. All HMPPS diversity and inclusion training is developed internally as part of wider learning and development activity, and so no additional cost was incurred for any of the ‘Let’s Talk’ toolkit.

Treasury

Small Businesses: Coronavirus

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of small businesses that will be unable to retain current staff numbers after the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme ends; and what steps they are taking to financially support small businesses after September 2021.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: Throughout this pandemic, our Plan For Jobs has supported jobs and businesses with over £400 billion of economic support – one of the most generous and comprehensive packages in the world. At the Budget, the Chancellor announced a generous extension of economic support to reflect the easing of restrictions and enable the private sector to bounce back as quickly as possible. As the Chancellor put it in his Budget speech: “we’re going long, extending our support well beyond the end of the Roadmap to accommodate even the most cautious view about the time it might take to exit the restrictions”. Eligible businesses and employees across the United Kingdom are benefitting from the extension of the CJRS until the end of September, with employees receiving 80% of their salary for hours not worked, up to £2500 per month. From July, employers will contribute 10% of costs of unworked hours, followed by 20% in August and 20% in September. Many other countries have already done the same (Denmark, Netherlands, France, Spain), and economy-wide schemes have ended in Australia and New Zealand. Furthermore, the economy now is in a stronger position than it was last autumn, when businesses also contributed up to 20 per cent of wage costs. And lastly, the labour market is in a stronger position, with 5.5 million fewer people on furlough than in April 2020 and hiring intentions and job vacancy levels in June around 29 per cent above February 2020 levels. As restrictions have been lifted, it is right that we ask employers to contribute more to strike the balance between supporting the economy as it opens up, continuing to provide support and protect incomes, and ensuring incentives are in place to get people back to work. The delay of Step 4 is accommodated by the continuation of the Government’s package of economic support for businesses, which can continue to benefit from extensions to the furlough scheme; a UK-wide recovery loan scheme; business rates relief; enhanced Time to Pay for taxes; and support for paying deferred VAT.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Overseas Aid

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of the legality of reducing the percentage of Gross National Income spent on Official Development Assistance without introducing new legislation to do so.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government is committed to returning to spending 0.7 per cent of GNI on official development assistance when the fiscal situation allows. The Government is acting in line with the International Development Act 2015, which explicitly envisages that there may be circumstances where the 0.7% target is not met.The Act also provides for the Secretary of State's accountability to Parliament through the requirement to lay a statement before Parliament and, if relevant, make reference to economic and fiscal circumstances. The Foreign Secretary has already committed to doing that.

Tunisia: Politics and Government

Baroness Goudie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support parliamentary democracy in Tunisia.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Minister for the Middle East and North Africa, James Cleverly MP, was in Tunisia 7-9 June to co-chair the inaugural UK-Tunisia Association Council with the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Mohamed Ali Nafti. Bolstering trade, furthering good governance, and supporting Tunisia to develop its economy are all key aspects of our engagement that will enhance Tunisia's resilience and stability.The UK is also working with the World Bank to support macro-economic reforms and will continue to work with Tunisia and our partners to support sustainable growth and prosperity.

Tunisia: Politics and Government

Baroness Goudie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with Tunisian representatives regarding further initiatives to support and ingrain parliamentary democracy in Tunisia.

Baroness Goudie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to discuss initiatives to support parliamentary democracy in Tunisia at the G7 Summit in June.

Baroness Goudie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support (1) democracy, (2) the economy, and (3) measures to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic, in Tunisia.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Minister for the Middle East and North Africa, James Cleverly MP, was in Tunisia 7-9 June to co-chair the inaugural UK-Tunisia Association Council with the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Mohamed Ali Nafti. Bolstering trade, furthering good governance, and supporting Tunisia to develop its economy are all key aspects of our engagement that will enhance Tunisia's resilience and stability.The UK is also working with the World Bank to support macro-economic reforms and will continue to work with Tunisia and our partners to support sustainable growth and prosperity.

Israel: Palestinians

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports (1) that the government of Israel has removed health insurance benefits from Palestinian prisoners on their release from custody, and (2) that such persons have been deported from East Jerusalem and banned from the city; and what representations they made to that government about such reports.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: We have a regular dialogue with Israel, including on the treatment of Palestinian prisoners. We remain committed to working with Israel to secure improvements to prison conditions and detention practices, including the provision of essential healthcare services upon release. In instances where there have been accusations of ill-treatment, we advocate swift, transparent investigation.

West Bank: Construction

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that the government of Israel has issued a ban on the further construction of Palestinian developments near Yatta; and what assessment they have made of the impact of such a ban on any possible peace process in the region.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: We are looking into these reports. The UK and international partners will continue to call bilaterally, and in international fora, for Israel to provide a clear, transparent route to construction for Palestinians in Area C. These issues are complex. They will only be resolved via dialogue and agreement between the parties. We will continue to encourage all parties to try and find a sustainable solution through discussion.

Iraq: Turkey

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations, if any, they have made to the government of Turkey about the attack on Maxmur Refugee Camp and villages in northern Iraq on 5 June.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: We are following the situation closely. We reiterate the need for dialogue and cooperation between Iraq and Turkey to combat terrorism, ensure regional security, and protect civilians. We welcome recent discussions between Iraqi and Turkish Defence Ministers regarding Ankara's military operations against the PKK in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

Myanmar: Politics and Government

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to beginnegotiations with representatives of the National Unity Government (NUG) in Myanmar with a view to giving it official recognition; how they intend to respond to the request sent by the NUG to the Prime Ministerrequesting (1) engagement with the NUG as the representative of Myanmar, (2)aid to assist in that country, and (3) intensifyingfinancial and diplomatic pressure on the current government; and what plans they have to raise the issues in Myanmar at the G7 Summit.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: We are clear in our condemnation of the coup and stand in solidarity with those calling for a return to democracy. We welcome the formation of the NUG to push for an inclusive, democratic future for Myanmar. They are an important voice for many in Myanmar. On 9 April, the UK convened an Arria-formula meeting at the UN Security Council to discuss the issue of Myanmar and invited Daw Zing Mar Aung, from the NUG, to address participants. On 20 April, the Minister for Asia met with Dr Sasa, a key figure in the NUG, and reiterated the UK's support for their ambitions for a federal democracy.The UK is one of the largest humanitarian donors in Myanmar. UK aid provides life-saving humanitarian assistance to conflict affected and displaced people in Myanmar. We have carried out a review of our aid programme in Myanmar to ensure that we focus on the most vulnerable people. We are closely monitoring the ongoing impacts of the military coup with our partners, including ethnic civil society organisations, so that our support continues to reach those most in need and can respond to new needs. On 17 May, the UK imposed sanctions on Myanmar Gems Enterprise, a State Owned Enterprise responsible for all gems activity in Myanmar, a key source of revenue for the military. We have also sanctioned Myanmar Economic Holdings Ltd (MEHL) and Myanmar Economic Corporation (MEC), the two largest military conglomerates. These sanctions directly target the military's financial interests. Working with partners, including the US and Canada, we have sanctioned 9 military officers, including the Commander-in-Chief, for their role in the coup.We have also welcomed the Five Point Consensus on Myanmar and ASEAN's unique role in addressing the crisis and supported ASEAN's call for an end to violence, for restraint, and for a peaceful resolution, in line with the purpose and principles enshrined in the ASEAN Charter. As was made clear in the communique after the G7 Foreign Ministers meeting on 5 May the military must implement this plan without delay.

Africa: BBC World Service

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on the UK’s diplomatic soft power of the BBC World Service in Africa.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The FCDO strongly values the work of the BBC World Service and its independent and impartial broadcasting, which helps to promote UK values overseas. We support the BBC's mission to bring high quality and trusted news to African audiences, including where free speech is limited. FCDO investment into the BBC World Service via the World2020 programme has seen six new language services launch across Nigeria, Eritrea and Ethiopia, and has contributed to an increase of over 40% in weekly audience since 2016.

Cameroon: Sanctions

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussionsthey have had with the government of the United States' State Department about its "announcement of visa restrictions on those undermining the peaceful resolution of the crisis in the anglophone regions of Cameroon”, published on 7 June; and what plans they have to take similar action.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK Government has discussed with the US Government their decision to introduce visa restrictions with regards to the North-West South-West crisis in Cameroon, and we will monitor the impact of this announcement.

Ministry of Defence

Ministry of Defence: Civil Proceedings

Lord Tunnicliffe: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many civil claims against the Ministry of Defence have been rejected so far as a result of Part 2 of the Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Act 2021.

Baroness Goldie: No civil claims against the Ministry of Defence have been affected by Part 2 of the Overseas Operations (Service Personnel & Veterans) Act 2021, as this part of the Act has not yet come into force. Commencement Regulations relating to the Act were made by the Secretary of State on 7 June 2021, and the substantive provisions of the Act, including Part 2, will come into force on 30 June 2021.

Department for Work and Pensions

Pension Credit

Lord Dodds of Duncairn: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people in England they estimate to be entitled topension credit who are not claiming it, as a percentage of those eligible.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: The information requested is not available.Data related to Pension Credit is published at Great Britain level. The latest estimates were published in October 2020 and relate to the financial year 2018/19 and can be found in the “Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up” publication in the statistics section of gov.uk.

Kickstart Scheme

Baroness Wilcox of Newport: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much money in total they have paid to employers through a Kickstart Scheme grant.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: Information relating to Kickstart grants will be published by the Cabinet Office on the Government website in due course, as is standard practice for all Government general grants. This information is normally published about a year after the financial year end and includes grant value and recipients.

Kickstart Scheme

Baroness Wilcox of Newport: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they contractany company (1) to run part of, or (2) to approve applications for, the Kickstart Scheme; if so, what are the names of those companies; what are their roles and responsibilities; and how much are the contracts worth.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: No companies are contracted to run part of, or approve applications for, the Departments’ Kickstart Scheme.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Land: Contamination

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to reports of the contamination of land on two dairy farms in Cumbria after the application of liquid fertiliser, what assessment they have made of the frequency of such incidences of contamination; and what plans they have to take regulatory action to prevent further such contaminations.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: An Environment Agency (EA) investigation into the matter is currently ongoing and has included analysis of water samples. Enquiries remain ongoing on what appears to be a localised incident involving a specific liquid that was used as a fertiliser. From the information that was reported in January 2021, it is the EA’s understanding that the last known application of the fertiliser was in March 2019.

Animal Welfare

Lord Grocott: To ask Her Majesty's Government which parts of the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill would not have been allowed had the UK remained a member of the EU.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill goes further than Article 13 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU in a number of ways. In particular The Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill introduces a proportionate accountability mechanism, involving the Animal Sentience Committee. It applies to all policy areas and has no exemptions.

Home Office

Asylum: Deportation

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many individuals were on board UK deportation flight Esparto 11; and to which countries they were deported.

Lord Greenhalgh: The Operation Esparto 11 returns charter flight departed on 12 August 2020. Fourteen people in total were returned under the Dublin Regulation to Germany and France on this flight.The Government’s efforts to facilitate entirely legitimate and legal returns of people who have entered the U.K. through illegal routes are too often frustrated by last minute challenges submitted hours before a scheduled flight. These claims are very often baseless and entirely without merit, but are given full legal consideration, leading to removal being rescheduled.This Government’s priority is keeping the people of this country safe, and we make no apology for seeking to remove dangerous foreign criminals and other immigration offenders.

Asylum: Finance

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of delays in the issuing of the Aspen payment cards to asylum seekers.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The PrePaid Financial Services (PFS) solution is a well-established Mastercard pre-paid card used by organisations across the UK as well as abroad and has undergone over 5 months of rigorous testing to integrate with Home Office systems.Service users were notified of the transition in advance and a significant majority of service users have received their Aspen card and successfully activated. The service is functioning as expected for those who have activated their card. The cards are fully working, withdrawals and purchases are being made and the automated IVR activation line is operating well.Transitions of this nature are complex, and plans to mitigate anticipated issues were, and remain, in place. Cash payments were made available in emergencies. We will continue to work with the remainder of service users to activate their cards and ensure they are supported throughout. Our main focus is to ensure all remaining service users have an activated card so the new service can be accessed and support payments received.As part of our management of service contracts continuous improvement assessments will be factored in throughout the contract term and implemented accordingly.

Refugees: Children and Females

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of thefindings published byTogether With Refugees on 1 June that two-thirds of women and children currently accepted by the Government as refugees would be deemed inadmissible under their New Plan for Immigration, published on 24 March.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: I do not recognise the figures presented in the Together with Refugees publication of 1 June regarding women and children. Some mention is made in the report of illegal entry figures quoted in the New Plan for Immigration policy statement, and to wider published data, but neither support the specific conclusions made in the publication.In drawing its conclusions, Together with Refugees states: “The new rules would mean that all those who claim asylum after arriving in the UK through an irregular route would face removal to a third country, with their asylum claim only progressing if removal is not possible…” That is not how the current policy operates, nor how we intend the future process to operate.Our current policy is clear that decisions are made on a case-by-case basis, not rigidly or en masse. Irregular entry is not the sole criterion or even a necessary criterion on which inadmissibility processes operate. Inadmissibility applies only where someone has a connection to or has been present in a safe third country before coming to the UK.There are many circumstances where the inadmissibility rules would not be applied, including: to an unaccompanied child; to someone who has had no opportunity to claim asylum in the safe third country, for instance, because they were under the control of traffickers; to someone who demonstrates that in their particular case, return to the third country would place them at risk of harm; and to someone who demonstrates that in their specific circumstances there are reasons under the Human Rights Act why they should remain in the UK.There will be instances where the inadmissibility rules will apply to families. We know that some people, including women with children, reach safe EU countries where they have the opportunity to claim asylum and obtain the protection they need, but then as a matter of preference, choose to make further unnecessary and dangerous journeys to the UK. Such actions from people who have already reached safety exposes not only the claimants themselves to significant danger, but also their children and the individuals involved in their rescue.Our inadmissibility rules aim to deter anyone thinking of making a dangerous journey to the UK when already in a safe country, and make it clear that those who could and should have claimed asylum in the first safe country they enter may not have their claims determined in the UK.

Penally Camp

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government how the Penally Training Camp is now being used; and what discussions they have had, if any, with the Welsh Government about this camp.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Penally site was last used to accommodate asylum seekers on 19 March 2021.The site was handed back to the MOD on 13 May 2021

Extradition

Lord Hay of Ballyore: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many UK citizens that have been arrested following extradition requests from other nations were extradited to the country of their arrest in each year since 2018.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: It may assist if the following is explained.The Home Office processes extradition requests from non-EU territories for individuals believed to be in England and Wales, and Northern Ireland under Part 2 of the Extradition Act 2003.The Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service processes requests for individuals believed to be in Scotland.The National Crime Agency processes extradition requests from EU Member States under Part 1 of the Extradition Act 2003 and data relating to these requests is published annually on the NCA website.Thus, the arrest of an individual sought for extradition would take place in the territory to which a request has been sent. If extradition is to proceed, after the legal process has concluded, and extradition is to proceed, the individual will be extradited to the territory which made the request. As such, the question has been interpreted to reflect those provisions and the response relates only to those extradition requests received by the Home Office.Twenty British nationals have been extradited to the requesting territory since 2018, eight of whom were dual nationals. YearNumber extraditedTerritoryNumber of dual nationals20211IndiaN/A20206USA, the Falkland Islands320198Australia, Canada, Switzerland, Norway, USA420185Albania, Antigua & Barbuda, USA, Peru1All figures are from local management information and have not been quality assured to the level of published National Statistics. As such they should be treated as provisional and therefore subject to change. As implied above, the figures do not include arrests made in Scotland.

Human Trafficking: Organised Crime

Lord Browne of Belmont: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent steps they have taken to tackle gangs involved in people smuggling and organised immigration crime.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Government stands resolute in its commitment to tackle Organised Immigration Crime (OIC). We continue to pursue the Organised Crime Groups (OCGs) who facilitate illegal travel to the UK and who exploit vulnerable migrants, knowingly putting people in life-threatening situations.In March 2021, the Government published the New Plan for Immigration which contains provisions to establish legislation to deter illegal entry into the UK, thereby breaking the business model of criminal trafficking networks and protecting the lives of those they endanger. We continue to work at pace to bring this legislation forward so we can crack down on the despicable criminal gangs behind people smuggling.The Government has taken steps to tackle OIC on social media platforms, reducing the space in which OCGs operate. In March 2021, the Immigration Compliance and Justice Minister met with the National Crime Agency and senior representatives from social media companies to discuss how they can more effectively tackle OIC online. As a result, all partners agreed to develop a joint action plan to tackle content advertising illegal OIC services. This action plan is currently awaiting agreement before implementation.Reinforcing this commitment to tackle OIC activity online, in June 2021 the Home Secretary wrote to CEOs of key social media companies urging them to do substantially more to proactively identify and remove posts promoting OIC, particularly illegal Channel crossings.We continue to take steps to tackle highly dangerous entry methods facilitated by these OCGs. As a result of our efforts, more than 4,000 people have been prevented from making the Channel crossing to the UK so far this year. In June 2021, the Government bolstered this effort by utilising the UK G7 Presidency, calling for firmness amongst member states in dealing with ruthless criminality that puts lives in danger and poses a risk to our border security.The Government will continue to work tirelessly to stop the criminal networks facilitating OIC and protect the lives of those they wish to exploit.

Refugees: Resettlement

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan to resume resettlement programmes for refugees.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Parliament was informed by Written Ministerial Statement on 18 March that the new global UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS) commenced on completion of the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme.(https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2021-03-18/hcws855)We are committed to welcoming vulnerable refugees through resettlement in the months and years to come, as well as through other safe and legal routes such as Refugee Family Reunion. Since 2015 we have resettled over 25,000 refugees through our resettlement schemes, in addition to granting over 29,000 Refugee Family Reunion visas in the last 5 years. As set out in the New Plan for Immigration we will continue to strengthen our resettlement offer as a safe and legal route to the UK for refugees in need of protection.

Dogs: Theft

Lord Selkirk of Douglas: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to make the theft of pet dogs a specific criminal offence.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Government recognises the distress pet theft causes and will consider the evidence and what more could be done to prevent these cruel crimes. That is why we launched the Pet Theft Taskforce on 8 May. The Taskforce will:Work with police, law enforcement, and experts to understand and tackle pet theft.Consider the issue from end to end, including causes, prevention, reporting, enforcement and prosecution.Make clear and timely recommendations on ways to reduce pet theft.Further information about the Pet Theft Taskforce, including its full terms of reference, can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/taskforce-launched-to-investigate-reported-rise-in-pet-thefts

Electric Scooters: Crime Prevention

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatdiscussions they have had with (1) local authorities, and (2) police forces, to prevent the illegal (a) purchase, and (b) use, of e-scooters in England.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Legislation was amended in July 2020 to allow for rental e-scooter trials around England which will run for 12 months with the trial period beginning in each area as and when e-scooters become available to the public. It remains illegal to use privately owned e-scooters on the road as they do not meet the requirements of stringent construction regulations, registration, road tax, insurance and MOT testing.It is not illegal to sell an e-scooter as they can be used legally on private land. However, under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, there is a general obligation for traders to give consumers sufficient information about goods and services at the point of sale, so consumers are not misled.Electric scooters have to abide by the same road traffic legislation as mopeds and motorcycles. To drive or ride any motor vehicle without permission onto a footpath, common land, moorland or land of any description that does not form part of the road is an offence under section 34 of the Road Traffic Act 1988. To drive or ride a powered scooter on a pavement, as with pedal cycles, is an offence under section 72 of the Highway Act 1835.Enforcement of road traffic laws on the illegal use of e-scooters is an operational matter for individual Chief Officers who will decide how to deploy available resources, taking into account any specific local problems and demands. Where e-scooters amount to anti-social behaviour, then local authorities make byelaws/injunctions and Anti-Social Behaviour orders to curb the misuse of vehicles.

Department for International Trade

Imports

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential use of import substitution in the UK.

Lord Grimstone of Boscobel: HM Government has made no formal assessment of the potential use of import substitution in the UK. However, this Government pursues a free trade policy that is open and fair and is a strong supporter of the rules-based international system.

Trade Agreements: Australia

Lord Campbell of Pittenweem: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of a trade agreement with Australia on agriculture in Less Favoured Areas.

Lord Grimstone of Boscobel: The UK produces high quality, premium produce that is globally sought after and this Free Trade Agreement (FTA) will create new export opportunities for British farmers and businesses. The Scoping Assessment, carried out before negotiations began, found that Wales and Scotland and all English regions benefit in all modelled scenarios from a UK-Australia FTA. A full impact assessment will be published prior to implementation of the agreement. Defra and the Department for International Trade are working in lockstep with partners like the National Farmers Union (NFU), the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) and the Food and Drink Federation to deliver tailored support on the ground for these farmers and food producers through schemes such as our Open Doors programme, helping them to capitalise on the enormous global demand for British food and drink and benefit from new trade deals.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Broadband

Lord Clement-Jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to implement the recommendations of the Final Reportby the Gigabit Take-up Advisory Group, published in June.

Baroness Barran: The Advisory Group’s June 2021 final report made a number of recommendations aimed at Government, Ofcom, industry and trade bodies to encourage the take-up of gigabit broadband services. The Government welcomes the Advisory Group’s report. Action is already planned by the respective bodies to whom some of the recommendations were directed at. Ofcom plans to work with industry to improve the consistency of broadband terminology in the market, and to develop information to help consumers understand the benefits of gigabit broadband. BDUK plans to develop a 'Gigabit toolkit' to support local bodies in raising awareness and understanding of the benefits of gigabit connectivity among local residents and businesses. BDUK plans to work closely with local bodies and other key sector stakeholders. We are considering the wider recommendations in the report and will continue to look at what more can be done to best support take-up of gigabit services.